October Issues Have Arrived + Win Your Favorite!

It’s officially fall when your primetime television shows are back and our new October issues have hit the stands! We’ll give you a run-down of our favorite highlights, from collage mermaids to uplifting journals and hopefully leave you wanting to snuggle up with your favorite title and a furry friend. After virtually perusing this month’s selection, take advantage of our FREE SHIPPING discount that we are offering exclusively to our blog readers.

Use Promo Code: BLOG1012*

No, that’s not the sound of baby pigs running rampant around the office. That’s a bunch of very excited squeals at the delectably vibrant, candy-colored cover of the newest issue of Mingle. Flip open to any page and be whisked away to parties that showcase ornate centerpieces, costumes, and an assortment of treats. Step into the dark and musty venue of a murder mystery party, a French Quarter-inspired wedding, or perhaps a Cookie Shine – the Scottish version of the classic tea party. Visit The Makerie, a creative retreat that celebrates handmade and eco-friendly art in Boulder, Colorado (they even created their own adorable photo booth!). Don your party hats and wave those handmade pinwheels because you’ll want to recreate and re-imagine these festive décor and party themes again and again.

This stunning new issue of Art Journaling is a treasure, one to add to your mixed-media magazine collection and return to for years to come. Trish McKinney asks the question, “What Do You Dream About?” and encourages artists to never stop daydreaming. With her encouraging lyric-based art pieces, Naomi Capps sums up a feeling we all express from time to time: overwhelmed. She showcases this expression through paint and text and documents her everyday life in this way. Roc Nicholas takes art journaling off of the blank page and onto a blank coffee cup, and Rene Tibbets tells us why she likes to incorporate digital techniques into her journaling layouts. With over 150 inspirational journal pages to drink in, you’ll be mesmerized by the kind of art you can create as well.

For artists who like to create, sculpt, mold, and paint with their hands, Somerset Workshop presents techniques for getting your hands dirty in the craft room. Mary Beth Shaw provides eye-opening articles that illustrate how she uses paper towels to create textured backgrounds, creates a stylish project with an encaustic medium, and prefers to paint – without paint! Join Mary Beth, as well as other big names in mixed media like Cynthia Shaffer and Sarah Ahearn Bellemare, as they walk you through instructions for infusing upcycled paper towels and a mixture of text and images into your mixed-media projects. With articles titled, “Cheer Up” and “All Together,” there is no doubt that these artists are constantly fostering a positive community environment.

The rich olive and peach hues on the cover of Haute Handbags are enough to make any fashionista swoon. Return to school with a cool wool patch tote bag or a hip denim messenger bag. Give new life to burlap coffee bags and turn them into sturdy totes with feminine embellishments (look at those gorgeous bows!). A mother-daughter pair teams up to create gypsy-inspired bags from upcycled doilies and lace items, and patterns get “all tied up” with a menswear-inspired update. From mini-purses to clutches and felt to leather, these handbag designs are plentiful and the results are exquisite.

Fleur-de-lis and bejeweled insects are just some of the exquisite focal points of the jewelry showcased in this issue of Jewelry Affaire. Laurie Garcia shows us how to alter a cigar box and upcycle it into an organizational jewelry holder. Dazzling pieces that pay homage to the changing seasons are created with metallic leaf embellishments and ornate butterfly brooches. Maggie Dykzeul showcases a refreshing take on layered necklaces with her oriental-inspired pieces. Rebecca Ersfeld shows us a classy way to incorporate velvet into pieces your grandmother would approve of, and Cat Kerr shows us how to make the most of loved and well-worn board games with her altered Jenga Pendants. Between all of these amazing artfully inspired jewelry, there is surely a project that is just up your alley.

The first few pages of Somerset Life are enough to make a vintage lover’s eyes widen with excitement. Christine Stephens walks us through Gilding the Lily, an Orange County-based store that showcases button assortments in mismatched glass jars, raspberry-colored ribbons, glittering home décor, and much more. Susannah Conway shares her thoughts about life and writing in her article, “Stepping Bravely into the Unknown,” accompanied by her breathtaking photos from her blog. Send a bouquet of flowers in the mail by creating pressed petal parcels with poetic text accents. Full of Creative Living Ideas from our readers and artists, including ruffled can decorations and personalized envelopes, this issue will keep you crafting and smiling time and time again.

Polka dots, turquoise stripes, holiday plaid, and snowflake-covered skies are just a few of the many designs included in the winter issue of The Stampers’ Sampler. Packed with hundreds of handmade cards featuring bewitched pumpkins, holiday tags, Mason jar fairies, and collaged mermaids, this issue is crafted with love from our editors, designers, and readers alike. Flip through Wendy Morris’s Lost & Found album and see how she weaves together a story using paper scraps from memorable vacations. Don’t forget that every issue of The Stampers’ Sampler includes a FREE artist paper and template to keep you craftin’ those greetings all year round.

The autumn issue of Somerset Memories provides more than 125 layouts and projects that are positively eye-candy. See how Julie Fei-Fan Balzer uses the Copic Airbrush system to create a misty background effect without any mess at all! Pair it with stencils, and the possibilities for patterns are endless. Tackle the art of the album with Melissa Stinson as she creates a functional way to display photos from her trip to the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival. Digital scrapbooking expert Michelle Shefveland creates digital quilted art and shares a fun technique – the basic of printing images onto muslin. With tips and tricks from the best of the best in paper crafting, this jam-packed issue is one for the scrapbooks!

Want to win one of these issues? Click on any spread, check out the table of contents, and let us know which feature you’re looking forward to reading! One person will be selected at random to receive their choice of magazine. Winner will be chosen and announced October 19th.

Update: Our winner is comment #75, Tammy! We will be in contact with you in regards to you prize. Thank you to all who entered!

*Free shipping offer applies to U.S. purchases of the following October 2012 issues only: Art Journaling, Haute Handbags, Jewelry Affaire, Mingle, Somerset Life, Somerset Memories, Somerset Workshop, and The Stampers’ Sampler. Discount code does not apply to items purchased from The Shoppe at Somerset and expires 10/31/12. Contest is open to U.S. residents and ends 10/18/12 at 11:59pm.